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Mr Crummles died point blank at him; and when the two guards came in to take the body off after a very hard death, it was seen to open its eyes and glance at the London manager. At length the London manager was discovered to be asleep, and shortly after that he woke up and went away, whereupon all the company fell foul of the unhappy comic countryman, declaring that his buffoonery was the sole cause; and Mr Crummles said, that he had put up with it a long time, but that he really couldn't stand it any longer, and therefore would feel obliged by his looking out for another engagement.

All this was the occasion of much amusement to Nicholas, whose only feeling upon the subject was one of sincere satisfaction that the great man went away before he appeared. He went through his part in the two last pieces as briskly as he could, and having been received with unbounded favour and unprecedented applause -- so said the bills for next day, which had been printed an hour or two before -- he took Smike's arm and walked home to bed.

With the post next morning came a letter from Newman Noggs, very inky, very short, very dirty, very small, and very mysterious, urging Nicholas to return to London instantly; not to lose an instant; to be there that night if possible.

`I will,' said Nicholas. `Heaven knows I have remained here for the best, and sorely against my own will; but even now I may have dallied too long. What can have happened? Smike, my good fellow, here -- take my purse.

Put our things together, and pay what little debts we owe -- quick, and we shall be in time for the morning coach. I will only tell them that we are going, and will return to you immediately.'

So saying, he took his hat, and hurrying away to the lodgings of Mr Crummles, applied his hand to the knocker with such hearty good-will, that he awakened that gentleman, who was still in bed, and caused Mr Bulph the pilot to take his morning's pipe very nearly out of his mouth in the extremity of his surprise.

The door being opened, Nicholas ran upstairs without any ceremony, and bursting into the darkened sitting-room on the one-pair front, found that the two Master Crummleses had sprung out of the sofa-bedstead and were putting on their clothes with great rapidity, under the impression that it was the middle of the night, and the next house was on fire.

Before he could undeceive them, Mr Crummles came down in a flannel gown and nightcap; and to him Nicholas briefly explained that circumstances had occurred which rendered it necessary for him to repair to London immediately.

`So goodbye,' said Nicholas; `goodbye, goodbye.'

He was half-way downstairs before Mr Crummles had sufficiently recovered his surprise to gasp out something about the posters.

`I can't help it,' replied Nicholas. `Set whatever I may have earned this week against them, or if that will not repay you, say at once what will. Quick, quick.'

`We'll cry quits about that,' returned Crummles. `But can't we have one last night more?'

`Not an hour -- not a minute,' replied Nicholas, impatiently.

`Won't you stop to say something to Mrs Crummles?' asked the manager, following him down to the door.

`I couldn't stop if it were to prolong my life a score of years,' rejoined Nicholas. `Here, take my hand, and with it my hearty thanks. -- Oh! that I should have been fooling here!'